At Purchase Green, we believe that knowledge is power – that our customers should feel confident in the value of their purchase and
empowered by expert insight, regardless of them being established industry professionals or DIYers looking to install themselves for the first time; we just love to educate! There’s a lot to learn about artificial grass and the installation processes, so keep reading to get the need-to-know info about setting up your perimeter, methods of seaming, how to sanitize your artificial lawn, and more!
1. Excavate the installation site to the desired depth, then install & compact the subbase.
2. Place Wonder Edge along the perimeter with cutouts facing toward the center & secure using 5″ nails through the perforations.
3. Leave approximately 2″ – 3″ of excess material beyond the perimeter line where there is Wonder Edge.
4. Tuck the turf’s border into the lip of the Wonder Edge, then secure the turf with 5″ nails every 3″.
1. Excavate the installation site to the desired depth, but do not add subbase yet.
2. Dig a small 1/2″ – 1″ wide trench along the perimeter where there will be Bend-a-Board.
3. Set the Bend-a-Board inside the trench & compact enough subbase around the Bend-a-Board to hold it in place.
4. Hammer J-Stakes every 12″ on the outer side of the Landscape Bend-a-Board to reinforce the perimeter.
5. Install & compact the remaining subbase until only the top 1/2″ of the board is exposed. Or if you prefer the board to be flush with the grass blades, leave a greater gap – depending on the pile height of the chosen grass.
6. Neatly cut the turf until it meets the Bend-a-Board, then secure the turf with 5″ nails every 3″.
1. Excavate the installation site to the desired depth, then install & compact only enough subbase to leave a 2.5″ gap between the top of the hard edge & the top of the subbase.
2. Along the perimeter, lay the Subgrade Bend-a-Board about a 1/4″ away from the hard edge, leaving a gap for the turf to be tucked into later.
3. Hammer Mendocino Stakes every 12″ – 18″ on the inner side of the Subgrade Bend-a-Board until the tops of the stakes are about 1/2″ – 1″ below the top of the board; then secure by screwing 1 5/8″ decking screws through the stakes into the Subgrade Bend-a-Board.
4. Install & compact the remaining subbase until the base is flush with the Bend-a-Board.
5. Using a hammer & chisel, tuck 2″ – 3″ of turf into the 1/4″ gap between the Subgrade Bend-a-Board & hard edge.
6. Once the turf is tucked, secure it by using an 18 gauge pneumatic staple gun and stapling the turf to the board every 1/2″ – 1″.
1. Prior to seaming, ensure that the turf has been appropriately anchored down with nails and stretched so that the turf does not shift. Once anchored, trim the pieces of turf as needed to dry-fit the seams.
2. Where there will be a seam, pin back the two pieces of turf to create a hands-free opening, then cut the needed length of tape for the seam & anchor the tape ends to the subbase with nails.
3. Lightly drizzle the Supreme Seam Glue down the center of
the tape strip, then evenly spread the glue over the entire tape surface using a trow or piece of cardboard. Let the glue sit & cure for about 20 minutes, after which it should be slightly tacky.
4. Unpin & drop one side of the seam at a time, firmly pressing the turf onto the tape & glue.
5. Then, starting in the middle, hammer 5″ nails every 1″- 3″ in a staggered arrangement along the seam line.
1. Prior to seaming, ensure that the turf has been appropriately anchored down with nails and stretched so that the turf does not shift. Once anchored, trim the pieces of turf as needed to dry-fit the seams.
2. Once the pieces of turf have been satisfactorily dry fit, bring them together and hammer sod staples along the center of the seam line every 3″, then hammer nails every 1″ in a staggered arrangement along the seam line as well.
Commercial Grade Seam Tape vs. Landscape Seam Tape
Purchase Green’s Commercial Grade Seam Tape is triple-layered and thick – perfect for heavy duty seam work on high traffic applications. And because this tape is sealed, seam glue will not bleed through!
1. Prior to installation, roll out and leave the Weed Barrier in full sun exposure for 30-60 minutes.
2. When installing, apply the first Weed Barrier layer at the bottom of the install site’s grade, with each new layer moving up the grade and overlapping on each side by 2″ – 3″.
3. If installing on an application with a dog, lay the Weed Barrier beneath the subbase, rather than on top. This will support proper outflow of urine and other waste.
1. Secure AirDrain along the perimeter to a nailer board with a pneumatic staple gun; or, if installing on a rooftop, staple the grid to the runner boards. AirDrain can also be installed over and secured to subbase using 5″ nails.
2. Begin laying AirDrain wherever the longest strip or line is on the install site, moving from left to right. Each piece should be oriented so that the yellow indicator tab is in the bottom left corner and the flat side is facing up.
3. Connect each piece by inserting the “male” connector into the “female” connector and lightly pulling to snap them in place.
4. The grid can then either float under the turf or could be glued to any of the 14 “platforms” on each part.
1. If installing over subbase, be sure the base is properly compacted, then lay down each piece of Shockpad and secure them to the subbase by hammering 6″ nails through each pad’s corner. Install the turf over the Shockpad using 6″ nails again to secure the turf to the pad, preventing creep.
2. When seaming two pieces of turf over Shockpad using tape and glue, first apply a line of glue directly on the Shockpad where the seam will be, let the glue sit for 15 minutes to become tacky, then firmly press the tape strip onto the line of glue, then apply another line of glue on top of the tape for the turf to adhere to – this assures each layer of material is held together, preventing creep over time.
1. It is important to evenly apply infill, and using a Drop Spreader ensures quick, easy, and equal distribution.
2. Unload one 40-50 pound infill bag into the bucket of the Drop Spreader, adjust the gears as necessary to suit your desired distribution rate (dial numbers represent pound per square foot), and walk the spreader at a moderate pace over the entire surface of the install site.
3. When adjusting the distribution rate, take into account that smaller grit infills might drop at a faster rate than intended.
1. Once the infill has been applied, it will need to be pushed further down into the grass to support blade ballast, protect the backing material, and remain invisible from the surface.
2. Brush the surface of the grass with the Turf Broom using quick, short strokes until the infill is no longer visible.
1. The Turf Broom is effective at further distributing infill, however, Power Brooms are available for purchase or rent and make the task much easier and faster.
2. Simply power on the Power Broom as directed and sweep over the surface of the installation in quick, short strokes.
3. The Power Broom is excellent for the initial application of turf and infill, but also for annual brush-ups to help mitigate the appearance of traffic patterns
Why do you need Infill?
Infill application is crucial in order to protect the backing material from UV exposure, contributing to the 15-25 year expected lifespan of the turf. Proper amounts of infill will also support the grass’ ballast – helping blades stand straight again after being compressed, referred to as traffic or matting patterns – as well as adds necessary weight to the application, preventing creep from occurring over time. Additionally, infill application is required in order to qualify for Purchase Green’s Lifetime Product Warranty.
For best results, use Turf Bomb later in the day when it is cooler and the turf is out of direct sunlight. Prior to Turf Bomb application, lightly brush and rinse the affected area of turf.
Attach your garden hose to the ‘Hook and Hose’ sprayer, included in every purchase of a 32oz bottle; then screw the sprayer onto the Turf Bomb bottle. Set the dial to ‘wash’ and turn on the garden hose – water should flow freely. The ratio of water and solution will be automatically set to 35:1
Thoroughly saturate the entire affected area of turf and then let the solution sit for 10-30 minutes, rinsing with water afterward.
Application frequency can vary depending on the number and size of dogs active in the area, but the general rule of thumb is once weekly or biweekly.
Turf Bomb is only applied to affected areas and does not need to be applied to the entire application site unless desired.
